Wrench.



A. B. HEIMBACH.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, I914.

Patented June 8, 1915.

attomw lm/hum THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-L|THO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

V ALTON IB. HEIMBAGl-I; or DULUTH, MINNESOTA."

. A WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Manama. 8,1915.

Application filed May 15, 1914. Seria1No.8 3 8,660.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALTON B. HnrMBAoH, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St- Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to wrenches and is particularly directed to the provision of a rapidly adjustable wrench which may be quickly applied to various classesof work.

In other words, I aim to provide a type of,

wrench having a fixed jaw and a readily movable aw, the latter being normally rigldly held in engagement with the shank bodyto' which the rigid jaw isattached, but which may be temporarily disconnected therefrom and rapidly moved to anydesired position.

The ordinary mechanic using a monkey wrench, is frequently called upon to adjust the same to various sizes of nuts and a great amount of time is consumed where the movable jaws of these wrenches have threaded connection with the shank body. Various structures have been contemplatedwherein the movable jaw may be rapidly slid to any adjusted position, but a great many weaknesses have presented themselves when these types of wrenches have been used. The main point of weakness has been in rigidly holding the movable jaws to their adjusted position. r

My invention resides essentially in the provision of a structure in which the movable jaw is positively held in any adjusted position after once assuming such position,

this rigid holding applying to using the wrench in either a right or left hand direction. 7 a

Another object of my invention resides in the provision of a lever handle for controllower jaw in an unlocked position ready for any adjustment, Fig; 3 is an edge view of thestructure shown in Fig.2, looking to- 'ward the left, and, Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 414 of Fig. 1.

In constructing my wrench, I have provided a shank body 1 formed with a central longitudinally extending slot 2, a handle 3 rigidly; carrying a jaw 4: at its upper end, the rear portion of this jaw 4: carrying a headed extension such as shown at 5 to facilitate use of the wrench-as ahammer. The

front edge of the shank 1 is toothed as is shown at 6, this toothedportion being adapted to cooperate-with similar teeth formed upon the inner edge of the movable jaw body 7. This movable jaw body also centrally carries an out'wardly'projecting arm 8, this arm being adapted to pass through the slot 2 and project rearwar dly therefrom as is shownparticularly in Figs. 1 and 2. The

outer end of. this arm projection forms a suitable base upon which is pivotally mounted at 9, a lever handle 10. [This lever handle lOis preferably of suitable length so that for all ordinary sizes of nuts, it will extend down the full length of the handle portion 3 of the shankl to both afford a back leverage and a convenient hand grip when the two parts are moved together. The relation between the pivot pin 90f the handle 10 and the rear face 11 of the shank portion is such that when the face 12 of the lever handle lies contiguous with the face 11, the two setsv of teeth upon the shank body and the movable jaw respectively are infirm interlocking engagement with each other'to rigidly hold the movable jaw in any adjusted position. Inasmuch as the'length of the handle 10 is such that for all ordinary sizes of nuts,

it will be grasped by the hand of the user of the wrench while turning the same, there is absolutely no possibility of the movable jaw being accidentally dislodged, while turning the nut in either a right hand or reverse direction. The upper portion of the handle lever above the pi'votpoint is formed with a flat incline, such as is shown at 13, this inclined face being located a less distance from the pivot point'than the face 12, an amount slightly in excess of the depth of one of the a rack teeth of either the shank or movable jaw. In other words, the relation between the-face 11 of the shank and the inclined face 13 on,

the upper portion of the handle 10, is such that when the handle 10 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 and moved so that the faces 11 and 13 are contiguous, the respective teeth on the shank or movable jaw will be disengaged and the entire jaw may be readily moved up or down to be adjusted to any size of nut. After the correct size has been attained, the handle may again be swung to the position shown in Fig, 1, whereupon the corner 14 forming the juncture between the faces 12 and 13 acts as a fulcrum point and moves the movable jaw so that the two sets of teeth come into firm interlocking relation andthereby prevents movement of the movable aw.

In order that the handle 10 and movable jaw 7 may be held together temporarily or with a slight degree of permanency to avoid wabbling, I have provided a socket 15 in the upper portion of the handle and between the bifurcations. This socket 15 is adapted to receive a small spring such as is shown at 16 and to also snugly receive a pin 17. It will be apparent that the spring 16 in the socket is laced under a slight tension when the pin 1 is inserted and, therefore, the pin will be caused to bear upon the rounded end of the outwardly extending arm 8. In this manner, a frictional engagement between the movable jaw 7 and the lever handle 10 is effected and, therefore, when the movable jaw is unlocked, it may be moved up and down without the corner portions catching upon the toothed face of the shank as long as the handle 10 is held in the proper position. 7

What I claim, is:

A wrench comprising a shank toothed on its front edge and formed with a central elongated slot, a fixed jaw on said shank, a movable jaw complementally toothed on its inner edge, an arm projecting centrally from the toothed edge of said movable jaw and extending through said slot to a point beyond the rear edge of said shank, a lever pivoted to said arm adapted to normally lie contiguous with the rear edge of said shank to lock 1 the two toothed portions together, the portion of said lever above the pivot point being formed with a flat incline of less distance from said pivot than from the contiguous side, said lever being formed with a socket, a pin snugly fitting in said socket, and a spring between said pin and the base of said socket and adaptedto press the pin into frictional engagement with said arm to steady said movable jaw when the same is unlocked.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALTON B, HEIMBACH.

Witnesses C. L. SHEPHERD, WV. P. LABDNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. Q. 

